MURRAY, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sallie Mae, the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing in education, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Sallie Mae Bank, has awarded a total of $90,000 in scholarships, the largest award amount in its six-year history. The 21 undergraduate recipients are pursing engineering, nursing, respiratory therapy or teaching programs at a higher education institution in six Utah counties.
“Ever since I was little, I wanted to be an inventor. It wasn’t until later that I realized ‘engineer’ was really another name for inventor,” said Greg Otterstrom, engineering major at Utah State University. “To fund my degree, I tutor all levels of math. Although this supplemental income is helpful, without the generous donation from Sallie Mae Bank, my dreams would not be possible. I am honored to receive the scholarship.”
Since the scholarship program began in 2006, Sallie Mae Bank has awarded nearly $450,000 in scholarship assistance to students attending colleges in Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele, Utah and Weber counties. Recipients were required to submit a one-page essay detailing their educational goals.
“This scholarship program not only helps deserving students but also helps the community by encouraging more engineers, health professionals and teachers – careers in great demand in the state,” said Paul Thome, president of Sallie Mae Bank. “In fact, last year we expanded the program to registered nursing, respiratory therapy and pre-engineering students. Higher education continues to give young people access to higher employment and earnings power, and it is our mission to assist families to save, plan and pay for college responsibly.”
Academic year 2012-2013 scholarship recipients are:
- Tasha A. Blake, resident of Salem, Utah, attending Brigham Young University
- Jodie Burch, resident of Kaysville, Utah, attending Weber State University
- Deverall Churchill, resident of Renton, Wash., attending University of Utah
- Brooke J. Emery, resident of Provo, Utah, attending Brigham Young University
- Jordan Guckert, resident of Salt Lake City, Utah, attending University of Utah
- Morgan Heaps, resident of North Logan, Utah, attending Utah State University
- Alexis D. Hiatt, resident of Orem, Utah, attending University of Utah
- Jenica P. Hillyard, resident of Logan, Utah, attending Utah State University
- Aaron C. Jones, resident of Centerville, Utah, attending University of Utah
- Bradford E. Law, resident of Orem, Utah, attending Brigham Young University
- Kiley M. Liston, resident of Logan, Utah, attending Weber State University
- Emma R. Mauchley, resident of Ogden, Utah, attending Weber State University
- Kathryn A. Mitchell, resident of Taylorsville, Utah, attending Salt Lake Community College
- Gregory G. Otterstrom, resident of North Logan, Utah, attending Utah State University
- Whitney M. Ridges, resident of Kaysville, Utah, attending Weber State University
- Fara J. Rigby, resident of Kaysville, Utah, attending Weber State University
- Sierra L. Robinson Penrod, resident of Provo, Utah, attending Brigham Young University
- Whitney M. Smith, resident of Sandy, Utah, attending University of Utah
- Austin Stevens, resident of Uintah, Utah, attending University of Utah
- Cameron T. Vongsawad, resident of Provo, Utah, attending Brigham Young University
- Ty C. Weber, resident of Provo, Utah, attending Brigham Young University
Sallie Mae Bank plays an integral role in Sallie Mae’s mission to help families save, plan and pay for college. Opened in 2005, the Bank funds and originates private education loans to students nationwide. In 2010, Sallie Mae successfully launched its direct banking business, offering FDIC-insured online savings accounts and Certificates of Deposit through the bank. The Sallie Mae Bank was recognized on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine’s Best List 2011 as the best money market account. The bank is headquartered in Murray, Utah, and is insured and regulated by the FDIC.
Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) is the nation’s No. 1 financial services company specializing in education. Whether college is a long way off or just around the corner, Sallie Mae turns education dreams into reality for its 25 million customers. With products and services that include college savings programs, scholarship search tools, education loans, insurance, and online banking, Sallie Mae offers solutions that help families save, plan, and pay for college. Sallie Mae also provides financial services to hundreds of college campuses as well as to federal and state governments. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.